stange behaview: cat lk<SID> and oracle dies

While reading metalink notes about file lk<SID>, i just want to know what is inside this file(metalink notes said it is of zero size, while my file is not ). So, i cat lkDEV, and strangely, Oracle instance died.All background processes died immediately, leaving the server process oracleDEV, and after a while server processes dies also. Anyone have this experience? any comments?

And another question: metalink said when oracle instance shutdown, lkSID file is removed, but in my case, this file persists.And when i restart the instance, this file doesnot matters, instance started up fine.

Thanks.

--
an oracle fan, 
an oracle beginner

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